Open AccessPublic Intoxication: Sobering Centers as an Alternative to Incarceration, Houston, 2010–2017
Author(s) -
Suzanne V. Jarvis,
Leonard Kincaid,
Arlo Weltge,
Michael Lee,
Scott F. Basinger
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2018.304907
Subject(s) - overcrowding , medicine , public health , law enforcement , intervention (counseling) , environmental health , emergency department , medical emergency , political science , psychiatry , law , nursing
In 2010, the Houston police department admitted 20 508 publicly intoxicated individuals into its jail. To address jail overcrowding, the city created a jail diversion policy that allowed law enforcement to admit publicly intoxicated individuals into a new sobering center. By 2017, public intoxication jail admissions had decreased by 95%, freeing valuable resources. A promising public health intervention, sobering centers offer an alternative to incarceration and relieve overuse of emergency services while assisting individuals with substance use issues.